What To Eat When You Have Loose Motion?

Suffering from loose motion could be painful and embarrassing. Your tummy might hurt and you need to go to the washroom quite often, which could drain your energy and you might feel exhausted. You might also feel dehydrated because of loose motion. All these could be problematic for you. Fortunately, some foods can help you when you have loose motion. Read further to know about the foods that you should eat when you have loose motion. You can also know about the foods that should be avoided when you are suffering from loose motion.

Your diet is highly important when you are suffering from loose motion. Some foods can help in relieving the symptoms and some can even make them worse. Let’s take a look at the foods that you should eat when you have loose motion.

If you have loose motion, you should eat bland, simple foods that are easy to digest and also help absorb some water from the stool.

Usually, doctors recommend the BRAT diet, which includes plain rice, banana, bread or toast, and applesauce.⁽¹⁾

Some other suitable foods include boiled potatoes, hot cereals like , rice porridge, or cream of wheat.

Bananas: Bananas are rich in potassium and that helps in getting digestion back to normal. Moreover, the resistant starch found in bananas helps in absorbing salt and water in the colon and thus makes your stool firmer. Bananas are also loaded with fiber and the fiber content also helps in restoring normal bowel movements. So, eating bananas when you have loose motions could benefit you greatly.

Boiled Or Mashed Potatoes: Boiled or mashed potatoes with a pinch of pepper and salt can also help in recovering from loose motions quite effectively. Generally, a diet rich in starch is recommended when you are experiencing loose motions, and potatoes are a great source of starch. Mashed potatoes replenish your body with Vitamin B6 and vitamin C which are often lost with watery stools.

Oatmeal is another food that you should eat when you have loose motion. Oatmeal contains soluble fiber that absorbs water in your GI tract and helps to add firmness to your stool, which in turn reduces the frequency of loose motions.

Make a note not to add milk to your oatmeal. You can instead cook the oats with light vegetables like beans or carrots.

Apples: Eating skinned apples could help you get rid of loose motions. Apples are loaded with pectin, which has binding properties and can be beneficial when you are dealing with diarrhea or loose motion. Stewed apples are also great to have when you are experiencing loose motion.

White Rice: White rice is also a good food to eat when you have loose motions. It gives you the required strength and energy and can also be easily digested. Moreover, it also makes your stool more solid and helps you get relief from frequent loose motions.

A review has suggested that foods with probiotics might reduce the duration of a bout of diarrhea.⁽²⁾ Probiotics work by releasing chemicals that help in breaking down toxins produced by unhealthy bacteria that can result in diseases, including loose motions or diarrhea.⁽³⁾

Yogurt and kefir are some of the probiotic foods that might help in digestion and improve the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut.

Yogurt has a soothing and cooling effect on your stomach and also helps to replenish the good bacteria in your gut and helps in digestion and healthier bowel movements.

NOTE: Talk to your doctor before using probiotics.

When you are experiencing loose motion, a lot of water along with sodium and minerals from your body gets lost. So, it is important to provide these back to your body through the diet that you eat or drink. Liquid foods that you need to drink when you have loose motions include coconut water, orange, pomegranate, watermelon juice, buttermilk, and electrolyte water. These drinks help in preventing dehydration and also avoid exhaustion. Moreover, these drinks also help in flushing any toxins out of your body.

Soup or broth, electrolyte water, and coconut water are great sources of electrolytes and minerals which help during loose motion.⁽⁴⁾ Make sure to drink these after every loose motion.

Many foods can worsen your condition if you have loose motion. Let us check out those foods below.

Spicy food items could also irritate your digestive system and should be avoided when you have loose motion.

You should not eat fried foods when you have loose motions. Added fats and oils from frying could be hard for your digestive system to process and would make your symptoms worse.

You should avoid sugary foods if you have loose motion. Sugars can make the condition even worse. So avoid sugary foods like candies, sweet baked products, and even fruit juices.

You should also avoid foods containing excess fiber. Though fiber helps in keeping your digestive system active, it can worsen your symptoms when you are recovering from loose motions. Insoluble fibers are the main culprits behind this.

Foods like whole grains, whole grain bread, nuts and seeds, and grain cereals, are rich in insoluble fibers and should be avoided when you have loose motion.⁽⁵⁾

If you are dealing with loose motion, avoid foods and beverages that can cause you to lose fluids. Alcohol can act as a diuretic and can be dehydrating. So you should avoid alcohol.

Sodas having high-fructose corn syrup can also cause problems if you have loose motion. Large quantities of fructose can irritate your digestive system and can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea.⁽⁶⁾

Artificial sweeteners have a laxative effect on the digestive system in some people. If you have been suffering from loose motion, then you should avoid diet soft drinks and sugar substitutes. Consuming artificial sugar can cause your intestine to produce more electrolytes and water, which can again cause more loose motion.⁽⁷⁾

Some other foods that must be avoided when you have loose motions include processed and packaged foods, legumes, foods that produce gas like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, dairy products, raw vegetables, nuts, and fatty meats.

You should also avoid caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, and soda, as these drinks might overstimulate your digestive system and can worsen the symptoms. Similarly carbonated drinks should also be avoided as they can contribute to other symptoms like bloating and cramps when you are dealing with loose motions.

You should call your doctor when you experience the following symptoms along with loose motions.

• Nausea or vomiting
• Stools with unusual color and odor.
• Loose motions getting worse in two days.
• Blood or mucus in stool
• Stomach pain
• Fever

Dealing with loose motions could be extremely tough and tiresome. However, with an appropriate diet and rest, one can recover quickly from the condition. So, if you have loose motions then take care of your diet first and drink plenty of water. However, if your condition does not improve even after a couple of days, make sure to consult with your doctor and take appropriate treatment.

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